A fresh air system for supplying an internal combustion engine with fresh air usually extends from an air inlet opening to a fresh air distributor, which generally has separate outlet openings for a plurality of cylinders of the internal combustion engine. Such a fresh air system generally comprises a plurality of air-conducting components or air lines, such as an air filter and an intake module, as well as various connection lines for guiding the air. The intake module can contain the above-mentioned air distributor. Such an intake module can likewise contain resonance devices and the like. In forced induction internal combustion engines, the fresh air system also contains a charge device, preferably a compressor of a turbocharger, and a charge air cooler. The individual components must be connected to each other in order to be able to guide the fresh air from the inlet to the outlets. When the fresh air system is assembled, components adjoining each other must be fluid-connected to each other. A coupling device of the above-mentioned type, among other things, can be used for this. There is often only a little installation space, in particular in a vehicle, to accommodate the fresh air system, as a result of which the installation of the individual components of the fresh air system is also made more difficult. In particular, situations can arise in which rotation of the components to be connected to each other in a circumferential direction is not possible or only possible in very small angles. In these cases, installation is often only possible in the axial direction. Simple installation when accessibility and visibility of the installation location are reduced is also desirable. Furthermore, such a coupling device must allow a detachable connection of the components involved, for example for maintenance purposes. The detachment of the coupling device must then also be implemented as simply as possible.
A coupling device of the above-described type should therefore be such that it can be connected and detached as simply as possible, to which end substantially only axial relative movements of the components to be connected to each other or separated from each other should be necessary.